Angela
Biotechnology Manufacturing Certificate
Skyline College

Internship
Pharmaceutical Materials Specialist

What inspired your interest in biotechnology?
I was laid off from United Airlines and heard about the Biotech Program at Skyline.

What attracted you to an internship at Genentech?
Everything sounded inviting about the company, and there were so many directions for growth.

What was the highlight of your internship experience?
The support from all of the fellow employees and friendly atmosphere.

Share your experience on the company culture at Genentech.
Friendly, supportive, and promising.

Internship
rMSAT, Summer 2000

Current Position
Engineer I

What inspired your interest in biotechnology?
I was always interested in the medical field but wasn't sure that I wanted to invest the time in becoming an M.D. Biotechnology offered a great way to use my engineering degree while giving me the opportunity to be close to the medical field.

What attracted you to an internship at Genentech?
The opportunity to apply some basic engineering and biology knowledge in the field of biotechnology at one of the top companies in the field was very appealing.

What was the highlight of your internship experience?
There were two things that stand out: the experience I gained that made me a good candidate for several jobs after I graduated, and working with my boss and the other people in the department.

Share your experience on the company culture at Genentech.
The company culture makes Genentech a very enjoyable place to work. There is a strong emphasis put on the importance of work-life balance. The motto seems to be 'Work hard, play hard.'

Internship
Tarceva Marketing

What inspired your interest in biotechnology?
I was attracted to biotech due to the industry's focus on developing products in therapeutic areas where there is still a high unmet need, which provides the opportunity to deliver novel products to patients.

What attracted you to an internship at Genentech?
The Genentech internship was a great opportunity to become immersed in a marketing team and complete a summer project that would have a meaningful impact on business decisions.

What was the highlight of your internship experience?
Through intern events and through the course of my project, I have been able to develop relationships with individuals within my team and in other groups. These relationships have provided me with insight into the diversity of experiences and career paths that have made people successful within the company.

Share your experience on the company culture at Genentech.
I heard a lot about Genentech's unique culture before getting here. After experiencing some strategic planning sessions, I have a better appreciation of what was meant by the words "collegial" and "consensus-driven" in describing the decision-making process. I have seen how each individual around the table has the opportunity to impact key decisions, which has been very encouraging to observe during my first exposure to the company.

Internship
Avastin Marketing

What inspired your interest in biotechnology?
I was pre-med in undergrad and worked in genomics research at a start-up biotech company after graduation. What inspired me most were the amazing scientific discoveries, growth potential of the industry, and opportunity to contribute to delivering new medicines to patients in need.

What attracted you to an internship at Genentech?
Genentech is at the forefront of drug discovery and has in its portfolio some of the most successful, groundbreaking drugs in the industry. Its MBA program is uniquely structured to give interns an opportunity to contribute to the company's success and provide exposure to a diverse array of business functions throughout the company.

What was the highlight of your internship experience?
I was given the opportunity to travel to the East Coast to conduct some field research with various Genentech field sales and medical education specialists in order to add some additional perspective to my project. The information gathered from the field visits, as well as my attendance at a regional physician advisory board, provided me with invaluable insight and, in turn, increased the value and impact of my final project.

Share your experience on the company culture at Genentech.
The company culture at Genentech is a living, breathing, and very real experience that is unlike anything I've experienced at companies I've worked at in the past. Everyone, from fellow MBA interns to direct and indirect managers, are consistently there to offer guidance and support and provide you with virtually anything you need in order to be successful.

Tony
Pursuing Bachelor's degree
San Francisco State University

Internship
Bioprocess Technician

What inspired your interest in biotechnology?
The technology Genentech offers its customers enables them to have new hope. They're able to cherish newfound time with their loved ones today, tomorrow and beyond.

What attracted you to an internship at Genentech?
Genentech also permits us a great deal of individual freedom, giving us rich opportunities to train at full pay.

What was the highlight of your internship experience?
The rich diversity of my working colleagues has energized me and opened my eyes to the excitement offered by a large, growing corporation.

Share your experience on the company culture at Genentech.
Genentech's corporate culture is one of stressed informality; everyone works hard and plays hard, too. I got this feeling from the very beginning of my time at Genentech; my trainers always integrated some form of creative play into the very serious training that we were undergoing, and that appealed to me.